Bubble package



July 25, 1961 w R, DENTON 2,993,590

BUBBLE PACKAGE Filed March 19, 1959 INVENTOR /4// /i/v/ @5A/TON BY E l ATTO R N EYS United States Patent O 1,993,590 BUBBLE PACKAGE William R. Denton, Orange, Conn., nmgnor to The W. E. Bassett Company, Derby, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Mar. 19, 1959, Ser. No. 800,491 4 Claims. (Cl. 206-78) My invention relates to an improved packaging means, particularly adapted to the displaying of small-size items of merchandise in a manner such as to discourage tampering and pilfering.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved device of the character indicated.

It is another object to provide an improved transparent or bubble-packaging device in combination with a display card.

It is specifically an object to meet the above objects with a bubble-type enclosure incorporating its own removable closure panel so that when the bubble package, including its closure panel, is removed from the display card, the display card may be disposed of and the articles or article carried by the bubble package may be inserted and removed as desired by the user, thus being at all times kept in a fully closed container.

It is a further object to meet the above objects with a combined bubble package and display card wherein the bubble package may be more readily removed from the display card and wherein, once removed, the display card may never be re-used. Y

Other objects and various further features of novelty and invention will be pointed out or occur to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In said drawings, which show, for illustrative purposes only, preferred forms of the invention: 4

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective illustrating the combination of my invention, and employing generally a bubble package and a display card;

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective and looking generally at the underside of the bubble package of FIG. 1, and with the closure panel partly removed to illustrate features of construction;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the card of the combination of FIG. 1 in fully opened condition and in readiness for folding and assembly;

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of the underside of the card of FIGS. l and 3 and illustrating the removable panel feature of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a combined bubble package and card representing a modification of the form disclosed in FIGS. l to 4; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view in the plane 6-6 of FIG. 5.

Briey stated, my invention contemplates a combined bubble package and display card wherein the bubble package is itself a complete separately usable container for articles received therein, the container comprising a bubble portion for receiving articles and a closure portion for closing the bubble opening. The manner of forming the display card is such as to project the bubble portion of the package out of the, plane of the display card, and as a feature of the invention, a removable back panel is readily removed, preferably by destroying the display card and allowing the bubble package to drop out the bottom of the display card. Since the display card is damaged in order to permit such removal, it will not be possible to restore the display card to its original condition, so that any tampering would be at once apparent, and the purchaser can be assured that what he is buying has not been tampered with. The manner of securing parts of the panel to each other is such as to assure Patented July 25, 1961 ICC A against loss or dislodgement of the closure for the bubble package.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4 of the drawings, my invention isshown in application to a bubble package 10 on a display card 11. The card 1-1 may contain suitable circular and elongated openings 12-13 to permit ready mounting on a display rack for retail merchandising. The bubble package 10, in the form shown, happens to be of elongated variety, as for housing a stacked plurality of like emery boards 14, as used for manicuring purposes.

In accordance with the invention, the bubble package 10, which is preferably of transparent material such as cellophane or the like, is of two parts, the first being the bubble or pocket part 15, and the second being a closure part 16. In the form shown, the bubble part 15 is formed integrally with base lia-nge means 17 which may extend peripherally continuously about the base or open limit of the bubble portion 15. The closure means 16 is preferably a separate panel, as shown, and has sliding engagement with the ange means 17. In the form shown, this sliding engagement is achieved by forming guide means 18-19 along opposite elongated edges of the panel 16; guide means 18--19 are spaced to have suitable sliding engagement with opposed flanged parts 17 of the bubble portion 15. In FIG. 2, the closure'fpanel 16 is shown partially removed from the fully closed position so as to reveal the contents.

As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the display card part of my invention comprises front and back panel members 20-21, which may be formed of the same piece of heavy paper, cardboard or the like, for folding as along a score line designated by heavy dashes at 22. The folded halves 20--21 may be conveniently secured by staples or by adhesive, as suggested over corresponding contacting areas 25-25'. Registering mounting openings are designated at 12-12 and 13-13' as will be understood.

ln order to locate the bubble package, the first or top panel 20 is formed with an opening 23 conforming to the contour of the bubble portion 15 and receiving the same in closely located relation, as is evident from the assembly of FIG. 1. The opening 23 is preferably suciently restricted so as to enable the panel 20 to cover up all por-` tions of the tiange means 17 and of the closure member 16, the total plan outline thereof being suggested by phantom outline 24 in FIG. 3.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the back panel 21 is specially formed to permit tearing out or otherwise locally destroying a portion thereof to expose substantially the full planit'orm of the bubble package, including flange 17 and retainer or closure means 16 therefor. In the form shown, this takes the form of a removable panel 28, formed as an integral part of the back panel 21, and therefore, being elongated and having essentially the same contour as the outline 24 already described. For simplicity of removal of the panel 28, a finger-engaging tab 29 is formed at one end by stamping out a slit for the full width of the removable panel 2.8, and at the back end a clean break is assured by forming another continuous slit at 30. Between the slits 29-30, the panel 21 is preferably merely locally weakened or perforated, as suggested by dashed lines 31.

In use, the assembled bubble package and display card will resemble FIG. 1, the contents 14 being readily visible and the whole assembly being supported on a display rack at one of the openings 12-13.` The -whole card and panel will -be an obvious indication that there has been tampering. When a customer has purchased his article, he need no longer burden himself with the oversized display card, but may rip off the back panel 28, allowing the bubble package of FIG. 2 to drop out. The package of FIG. 2 is then completely usuable in and of itself because the contents 14 are fully retained until the need to use the same. After use, the contents may be replaced, or at least the closure 16 may be replaced, to retain the remainder of the contents until need for use thereof develops again.

In order to assure that the sliding panel 16 shall not become dislodged through attempts at pilfering or through mere vibration in shipment, I prefer that the panels 20-21 shall be secured to each other at locations removed from contact with the package of FIG. 2, but nevertheless in alignment with the sliding axis of the closure panel 16. For the type of securing depicted in FIG. 3, this dictates adhesive or other securing means at the end locations 32-33, as will be understood.

In FIGS. and 6, I illustrate a modification wherein the retaining means which cooperate between the bubble package and the display card 11 involve direct coaction between a part of the closure member 16 and a part of the top panel 20. In the form shown at least one elongated edge of the closure member 16 is provided with an upwardly extending integral flange 35 which may extend for the full length of the closure panel 16, but which is at least located immediately adjacent the respective longitudinal ends of the opening 23. This means that upon assembly of the bubble package to the display card, there is an interference or retaining relation between the upstanding iiange or lug means 35 and the adjacent longitudinal end of the opening 23, thus assuring against inadvertent loss of the closure 16 and also against inadvertent loss of any of the contents of the bubble package,

It will be appreciated that I have described an improved means for packaging and displaying certain types of merchandise, particularly articles which are relatively small and which must be kept in unsoiled condition until ready for use by the customer. My package provides assurance against tampering, at least from the purchasers point of view, because a simple inspection reveals whether or not there has been tampering, thus assuring that the merchandise is fresh and unsoiled. Furthermore, visual inspection of the entire contents of the package is possible without opening the same. Finally, once the card part ofthe combination has served its function of properly attracting attention with trademark and advertising material and of assuring against tampering, the back panel 28 may be removed so as to permit subsequent retention of the purchased item or items within the bubble package --16.

While I have described the invention in detail for the preferred forms shown, it will be understood that modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as dened in the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. In combination, two substantially at panels in back-to-back adjacency, one of said panels having an opening therein continuously surrounded by the remainder of said one panel, a anged bubble package having an open sided bubble conforming generally to said opening and mounted with the tlange between said panels and with the bubble portion extending through said opening and located thereby, a cover closing at least a portion of the open side of said bubble, means securing said panels to each other at locations removed from any part of said bubble package, the other of said panels having formed therein a removable panel portion overstanding said opening and having peripheral limits outside the peripheral limits of said lianged bubble package, said removable panel portion being tearably connected to the remainder of said other panel, whereby once torn said removable panel portion cannot be restored to the same connected relation to said other panel.

2. The combination set forth in claim l wherein said opening and said anged bubble package are elongated, and a tab at one end of said removable panel for grasping to remove said panel.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein the opposite end of said removable panel from said tab is slit substantially completely across so that substantially all of the tearing is along the elongated sides of said removable panel.

4. In combination, two substantially at panels in back-to-back adjacency, one of said panels having an opening therein, a two-piece bubble package comprising an elongated bubble part having opposed elongated flange means along the -base of the bubble and a sliding closure member having slidably guided closing engagement with said ange means along a sliding axis of closure, said bubble package being received -by said panels with the bubble portion projecting through and located by the said opening and with said flange means and closure member received between said panels, said other panel having a breakable portion overstanding substantially the included area of said flange means, andretaining means cooperating between said panels and closure to retain said closure against sliding disengagement from said bubble ange.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,115,673 Stompe Apr. 26, 1938 2,581,778 Young Ian. 8, 1952 2,796,985 Gorton June 25, 1957 2,868,360 Donkin Jan. 13, 1959 2,892,541 Hahn June 30, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 655,998 Great Britain Aug. 8, 1951 

